


Republic Commando: The Death Cure

by CPTAlpha_17



Category: Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series - Karen Traviss, The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: Cranks, Crossover, Gen, Mild Language, Pre-The Death Cure, Pre-The Maze Runner, Takes place around The Fever Code, The Flare, WICKED | WCKD (World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-06-25 12:52:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15641145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CPTAlpha_17/pseuds/CPTAlpha_17
Summary: Omega Squad is tasked with infiltrating the Last City, one of the few remaining areas free from the devastating disease that is tearing the human race apart: the Flare. Crossing the Scorch was hard enough, but this mission presents a whole different challenge. On top of it all, they don't know if they're immune, or how long they have before they succumb to the Flare. With the aid of some new friends and unexpected allies, the commandos of Omega Squad are determined to finally strike back against WICKED. Along the way, they uncover a shocking truth about WICKED - and themselves - that will change the course of the entire operation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I based the city itself on the city that is depicted in The Death Cure movie. It may not be entirely accurate, but I did my best with the layout and whatnot. 
> 
> This takes place before The Maze Runner, sometime during The Fever Code.

"This is it?" Darman said, finally breaking the silence that had developed when Jorge unfolded the map and spread it on the table. "This is the Last City?" 

"You sound disappointed,  _hermano_ ," Jorge said dryly. "What did you expect, a fortress with a moat?" 

Darman ignored him, frowning at the map laid out on the table. "What are we supposed to do, exactly?" He traced a finger around the city's outer walls. "This  _is_ a fortress, minus the moat. And I'm betting WICKED won't just let us stroll in nice and easy."

"There's no way," Fi agreed. He looked at Niner. "We got this far just to be stopped now? By what, a few walls?" 

Niner was just as frustrated, but he made an effort to hide it. "Temporary setback. We just need a rethink." He dropped his eyes to the map, mainly to avoid the inevitable eye rolls. 

"Yeah, well," Atin muttered, cheerful as ever, "we don't have time for a rethink. For all we know, WICKED is onto us. They've managed to keep track of us up to this point."

"Thank you for that inspiration," Darman snapped. "While you're at it, remind us how unprepared we are, why don't you?"

Atin looked momentarily taken aback by the uncharacteristic flash of temper; then he opened his mouth to retort. Niner recognized that it was time to intervene before the situation escalated. "Easy. Darman, if you're not going to be helpful, then keep your thoughts to yourself. Same goes for you, Atin," he said firmly. "This isn't helping anything."

For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Darman muttered something about taking a break and disappeared. Brenda started to follow him, but Niner called her back. "Don't - give him some time. We're all a little stressed," he continued, turning back to the others. "Let's take a breather and have another look in a few minutes." 

Atin slouched away in the direction Darman had gone. Fi shrugged and followed, leaving Niner alone with Jorge and Brenda. 

"Great team," Brenda said at last. 

"They're tired is all," Niner replied, instantly defensive of his squad. "We like having plans before we rush in and blow stuff up. We usually have proper weapons, too. All we have now is a few knives and one long range weapon between us."

"Cheer up,  _hermano_ ," Jorge said. "Things - well, they could be worse. There could be crazy people out there." He said this without cracking a smile. 

Brenda snickered. "Yeah, there could be crazies trying to eat your brain."

"And I shouldn't worry because...?"

"Because you have us,  _muchacho._ "

"Brilliant," Niner said. "I feel so much better." 

Jorge busted out laughing. "Oh, this kid. You have no idea, do you, boy?"

Starting to feel annoyed at Jorge's antics, Niner demanded, "No idea about  _what_ , exactly?" Jorge continued to snort. Brenda looked exasperated. 

"Come on, Jorge, out with it already."

"Oh,  _hermano_." He stood, wiped a tear of amusement away. "I have  _contacts._ They have a goal very much like yours."

"Wait. Wait." Niner's head was spinning. At some point, Fi and the other two had reappeared. They listened raptly. "What do you mean, contacts? They're trying to take down WICKED too? Infiltrate the city? Who are they?"

"I don't remember their names, exactly." Jorge tapped his chin. "They didn't talk too much, did they, Brenda?"

She shook her head solemnly. "Rough, if you ask me. Not too polite either. Seemed pretty damn pleased with themselves, too." She shrugged. "That's really all I remember. Sorry." 

Niner glanced at Darman, who looked equally puzzled. An uncomfortable thought flickered into existence right about then, so crazy that Niner didn't dare speak it. 

But he never got the chance. Jorge cleared his throat and said, "You remember the nutters that tried to blast their way into the city, yes?" Niner paused, thinking. Then he nodded. "Well, they may not have gotten in, but they learned something that day: WICKED isn't infallible. They can be distracted. Fooled. Held off long enough for a small group to gain access to the city itself, and, by extension, WICKED."

Darman, knowing a thing or two about demolitions, leaned closer. "You mean those explosions were a diversion?" When Jorge nodded, he swore quietly. "How did they get their hands on something so powerful?"

"Hang on," Fi broke in. "You still haven't told us who they are. Or why they're trying to take down WICKED."

Brenda smiled crookedly. "It's not an uncommon goal, you know. A lot of people hate them. The public knows they're developing a cure, but they also know the likelihood of actually being cured. They're very, very angry. WICKED can only hold out against them for so long." 

"But why is this specific group trying so hard?" Niner pressed. They were going in circles.

"Like Jorge said - common goals."

"Yeah, we get that," Atin said. He sounded as irritated as Niner felt. "But if they're your contacts, wouldn't you know who they are?"

"Oh, they do," said a new voice. "They're just being modest."

Niner spun around and received the biggest shock of his life. 


	2. Chapter 2

"It's been a long time, Niner," the boy said.

Niner could only gape. He knew this kid. And it wasn't just because they shared the same basic facial features, the same dark eyes and black hair; he'd seen him before. Granted it had been a while, but still.

"Boss?" Fi whispered.

"No way," Darman said.

Atin swore softly. Niner was too shocked to say anything, but he thought Atin's reaction was fairly appropriate. 

"You see,  _hermano_?" Jorge said. He was grinning, as if the tension between the boys made no difference. "I have contacts."

"They're - you're..." Niner stammered. He wasn't sure if he was angry or just plain confused, but it was easier to be angry. 

"How?" Darman asked simply, rescuing Niner.

Boss answered before Jorge could open his mouth. Oddly, the three behind him said nothing. Maybe they were just as unnerved as Niner was. He shook his head, wondering at it all, and tuned in to what Boss was saying:

"... WICKED isn't too happy, of course, but they're looking for a much larger group. Nice thing is, the more agitated they are, the easier it is for us to get close to the city." 

"You make it sound so great," one of the boys behind him piped up.  _Scorch._ "But it's a little more complicated than that."

Boss scowled. Niner was tempted to ask what had gone wrong, but he was preoccupied; Atin was staring stonily at one of Boss's companions in a way that almost certainly meant trouble. Before he could intervene, though, Atin growled, "Let me guess, you're all going to turn into cannibal zombies?" 

Niner winced. Whether or not Atin's words had any truth in them, the question was enough to raise the tension considerably. Even Fi looked uncomfortable. A long period of silence ensued. Niner hardly breathed, wondering if he'd be able to prevent a fight if one started.

Then Boss smiled, but there was something...  _off_ about it. Something unstable, almost. It set Niner on edge. 

"That's exactly what's going to happen."

Niner sucked in a breath, glanced at Atin. They were  _Cranks_? 

But Boss wasn't done yet. Still smiling, he went on, "To some of us, anyways." 

Another long silence. The only noise came from rapid breathing; Niner didn't know whose. Maybe his. Maybe everyone. 

Fi was the one to break the silence. "What do you mean, some of us? As in, just you?" He indicated Delta, still clustered around the door. "Or...?" Fi swung his hand to include Omega. He was shaking slightly, but Niner thought that wasn't unreasonable. 

"All of us," Boss replied.

" _What_?" Darman's eyes were wide. Niner brushed against his shoulder in an attempt to comfort his brother.

Then again, they had just been told - by a Delta, no less - that they had the Flare. What could he do that would help? They all knew what it meant to be infected. They'd been through the Scorch together, seen the Cranks.  _How long until that was_ us _?_

Brenda stepped forward. She looked just as alarmed as any of them, but also annoyed, too. "You haven't told them everything," she said. "There's more to it than just that." 

Niner snapped back to Boss, who seemed irritated by Brenda's input. Then he shrugged and said, "You're right." He looked at Omega, standing close together like that would deflect the sickness somehow. "We're not all sick." 

Niner was caught off balance yet again, confusion threatening to overwhelm him. He didn't ask the question burning in his mind for fear of the answer. "I don't know who might be, who isn't, anything like that," Boss continued quickly. "The only ones who know that... well, they're inside those walls."

"WICKED?" Niner breathed. 

"Got it in one. Fixer accessed some of their files a few days ago. Seems like they don't normally keep track of who might be infected, but they do happen to have a file on us. All of us. Both squads."

"So tell us," Fi insisted. "What do you know?" 

Fixer joined in. "All we know is that WICKED has the information we need - including who might be sick." He frowned, looked at Boss. "But I don't know why they're keeping tabs on us. They only other people they track are the ones involved in their experiments. Or Trials, whatever you want to call them."

Niner had reached an even greater level of confusion. "But we're not involved in anything like that. Not that we know, anyways. Why -" 

"That's enough for now," Jorge said suddenly. He and Brenda seemed almost... nervous. More so than the situation warranted. "Why don't we stop for now, have another go tomorrow - it's getting late anyways." Niner started to protest, but Jorge was adamant. "We're all tired, and we need to eat. No more talking about WICKED for now." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be two chapters - ending where Boss tells them that they have the Flare - but it seemed too short by itself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place a few hours after the end of the last chapter.

Niner couldn't sleep. That was hardly a surprise, given the day's events, but he knew he could jeopardize everyone's safety if he wasn't functioning at top form. So for his brothers' sakes, he tried to sleep. Tried to forget the sudden appearance of Delta Squad, and the awful news that accompanied them. 

Sometime after midnight, he dozed.

He was woken several hours later by the crunch of boots on the gravel just outside their shelter. The sky was pale gray, beginning to glow pink; he'd probably slept for five hours at most.

More footsteps, this time from the concrete stairwell twenty feet away. Whoever it was obviously wasn't particularly concerned about stealth, and hopefully not an enemy. He shook off thoughts of Cranks discovering their hideout and stood. Once he was satisfied that no one had noticed, he crept carefully up the stairs to the roof. 

Darman sat cross-legged near the edge, looking out at the towering walls separating them from their only hope of survival. He didn't turn when Niner emerged from the stairs, but he seemed aware that he was no longer alone. 

"You should be sleeping," Niner said.

"So should you." Darman didn't sound annoyed, though.

"Why are you out here, then?"

"I wanted to think. Fi snores something awful - kept me up half the night." He didn't smile at his own humor. "Why are we here, Niner?"

"To take down WICKED and hopefully save the world." Niner was trying to lighten the mood, even though it was a poor time for it. That was Fi's area of expertise, anyway. "You know, a standard op."

"That's the thing, though.  _Can_ we save it? If we do, who'll be left to rebuild? There's probably at least ten infected for every healthy person. What kind of world are we trying to save, exactly?" 

Niner tried to hide his unease. Darman was never cynical, never talked as if they wouldn't succeed. He wanted to tell himself that Dar was just stressed, but he knew instinctively that it was something more. 

"Dar, what's wrong? Why - why are you saying that? So we've hit a few snags, big deal. That always happens. We'll figure something out soon. You know we will. We made it here, haven't we?" 

Darman shrugged. "Isn't it weird, though?" 

"What?"

"Everywhere we go, WICKED is one step ahead. We make it here, and they already seem to know. Then the Deltas show up, tell us that hey, by the way, some of you have the Flare and are going to die soon. How did they find us? How come they've been able to access these files about us, but the furthest we've gotten in a map of the city that's wrong, for all we know? Why is it different for them?"

Darman lapsed into silence. Niner was struck by the questions - he hadn't realized he'd been wondering the same things - but had nothing to say that could answer them. Instead he asked, "Do you think they're spying for WICKED?"

"No. Well, probably not. I don't know what I think anymore."

Niner almost confessed that he felt the same way, but he refused to force his own doubts on his brother. And he wouldn't have gotten past the first few words without being interrupted by Fi. 

"Hey guys?" He was standing with one foot on the roof and one on the stairs, shielding his eyes against the sun. "Jorge said to come back down. You'll probably want to hear this." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the short chapter. I think what comes next is better if it is left separate from this.


	4. Chapter 4

Niner thundered down the stairs, nearly colliding with Fi in his eagerness to see Jorge, learn whatever had caused so much excitement. He came to a stop between Brenda and Sev in front of the table. The map of the city was still unfurled, but he couldn't see anything that marked a change.

"Well? Fi said you have something to tell us."

"All in good time,  _hermano_." Fortunately, Jorge seemed eager to share his news. "Everyone here? Good - I don't want to repeat myself." He sat on a metal stool that groaned beneath him. Then he leaned in, drawing everyone closer. "I think we may finally have a chance to get into that city," he announced. Sensing the inevitable outbursts, he held up a finger to stall them. "It's crazy, and probably won't work. There's a slim chance - very slim, but a chance nonetheless - that we can actually pull this off." 

"Without any real intel?" Boss said. "Nothing but a freaking map that was made three months ago?"

"Yes, with this map." Jorge jabbed the innermost cluster of buildings on the paper with his finger. "We've been watching WICKED as much as they've been watching us. They aren't putting their resources toward expanding the city itself. Everything they have is devoted to the cure they're allegedly developing." 

Brenda stepped in. "See that?" She indicated a series of lines drawn parallel to the spot that marked WICKED's headquarters. "There's a whole system of tunnels that connect to the outer walls. If you get through those, you're pretty much in the city.

"The only problem is that they're heavily guarded. Whatever you think about them, you can't fault WICKED's security."

Niner saw her point. WICKED had technology capable of wiping out thousands, and the personnel to wield it. The squads were vastly outnumbered and certainly outgunned. He tried to look at how that could be used to their advantage, but came up with nothing.

"If you knew about the tunnels, why didn't you tell us ages ago?" Darman asked. "This is the sort of information we need. We could've gotten in weeks ago!" He was genuinely upset; Niner wondered, again, what his brother wasn't telling him. "Why didn't you say anything?" 

Jorge and Brenda exchanged a look. Then Jorge took a deep breath. "What I am about to tell you must not leave this room under any circumstances. Good men died to get this intelligence back to us." He looked at eight identical, anxious faces. "WICKED now has the means to transport matter - including people - to your galaxy. The reason you've been able to disrupt their security is because they're assembling a massive force. Drawing human resources in, focusing on a bigger goal.

"Their next big move: unleash the Flare in your galaxy. And they have one target set in their sights." Jorge's voice dropped even lower, hardly even a whisper.

"The Grand Army." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another short chapter that I apologize for... this really does look longer when it's handwritten in a notebook.


	5. Chapter 5

Niner could hardly think. He barely breathed, as if stopping all bodily functions would allow him to process the information Jorge had just given them. 

No one spoke. Fi shifted nervously. Scorch swore under his breath, and Boss just stared at Jorge as if expecting him to burst out laughing and admit to the joke. To tell them it couldn't possibly be true. 

Niner finally found his voice. " _Why?_ "

"Don't they know some of us are already infected?" This came from Sev. "What would be the point?"

"They think you're infected. They don't know for sure. The reason they're going after your army is because they are greatly interested in your genes. They figure if it turns out you're immune, or you fight the virus somehow, that can be applied to this place - Earth. And if you're not immune... well, the problem will be somewhere else, won't it?"

Niner stepped back. Sat down against the wall. His mind was spinning with everything he had learned. Their initial mission - destabilizing WICKED - had just become much more crucial.

Boss shook his head. "That's insane," he said bluntly. "Insane. What do they have to gain?"

"A cure," Brenda answered. "That's what they think, anyway."

Boss just shook his head again, disbelieving. 

Niner tried to take charge. Tried to act as though he wasn't struggling to make sense of it all. "You said you found a way in - that we now have a real chance of entering the city. How big is this window of time, exactly?" he asked Jorge. "Because we have to prepare."

"We don't know the exact timing of WICKED's big move," Jorge said carefully. "I would guess within the next two weeks at the very least. Maybe three."

"Long enough to have something of a plan, then," Boss concluded. He looked directly at Niner. "Guess we're working together now. No point competing if we have the same goal."

"Fine," Niner agreed. "You can give us more of the details about the city based on your little adventure with those explosives."

Boss grinned. "Yeah, that wasn't exactly what we planned, but we had a little mishap along the way." Scorch snickered. Niner tried not to imagine what had gotten in their way. "Still accomplished what we set out to do, though. Just in a different fashion than what we discussed."

Jorge clapped his hands once, bringing their attention back to him. "Let's start planning. For real. From now on, we treat this as the real mission. No more wondering what's going to happen, no more sitting around - this is for real."

***

Niner sat with Boss, studying the map and discussing various possible entry points. Three hours had passed since their agreement to work together; in that time, they'd devised two possible plans for entering the city and WICKED's compound, getting the material they needed, and their escape route. 

Niner ran over the plan in his head. "Okay, correct me if any of this is wrong: we enter via the south walls."

"Check." 

"Once inside, we split up in order to cover more ground."

"Check."

"One of the teams infiltrates their headquarters and accesses files on the Flare, their plans, whatever might seem useful. Another team records the movements of the head of operations or whatever."

"Right," Boss confirmed.

"Meanwhile, a third team disables security in the west, hopefully creating enough of a disturbance any guards or whoever are drawn away from the south."

"With any luck."

Niner made a face. "Thanks for your vote of confidence. And while all of this is happening, the fourth team is with Brenda and Jorge on the walls, running comms and whatnot and rescuing anyone that might need it."

"Which hopefully won't happen," Boss added. "But yeah, that's the general idea - sneak in, cause some trouble, and sneak out faster."

Niner nodded. Then he lowered his voice. "How do we plan on splitting teams? We have enough people for four teams of two, plus Jorge and Brenda." 

"Keep squads together," Boss replied immediately. "We know who works best together, that kind of thing. No point making this complicated for the sake of making friends." 

Niner nodded again. He was secretly glad Boss had the same idea. He wasn't keen on dividing his squad and pairing them with someone they didn't trust entirely. Plus, it was obvious that Atin wouldn't be able to coexist with any of Delta, except maybe Fixer. The last thing any of them needed was an old grudge compromising the entire operation. 

Boss beckoned for Jorge to join them. "We have a plan. Get everyone back in here - they need to know the details if we want even the smallest chance of pulling this off."

Thankfully, Jorge didn't seem to take offense at Boss's order. He turned and headed up the stairs to gather the squads. Niner's heart started to pound.  _This was it,_ he thought. They were finally going to strike back against WICKED. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dog kept hitting me with his paw while I was writing this, so I'll blame him for any errors.

"I don't want to know what I'm stepping in right now," Darman muttered. 

He was behind Niner, sloshing through several inches of nasty water and other things Niner didn't want to think about. 

"Could be worse," Scorch said, somewhere up ahead. "There could be Cranks."

"That's not funny, Scorch," Boss snapped. The shadows on the wall shifted as he swung around to face his brother, still gripping a flashlight out in front of him. "Shut it." 

Scorch mumbled an apology. Boss just rolled his eyes and set off again. Niner switched the hilt of his knife to his other hand, trying to disguise his nerves. There were many ways their plan could fail. He did his best not to think about any of them. 

A while later they reached an intersection. Another tunnel ran parallel to the one they occupied. They all knew the plan and turned left without hesitation. 

The walls around him were coated in a layer of gunk and what looked suspiciously like blood in a number of different areas. Every few feet the words WORLD IN CATASTROPHE: KILLZONE EXPERIMENT DEPARTMENT loomed out of the filth. More often than not, the inscriptions were surrounded by smaller, messier phrases, probably scrawled by Cranks attempting to enter the city. Most of the messages cursed WICKED or the Flare; some begged for a cure, a chance to regain sanity. The Cranks' words were usually the ones smeared with blood.

Niner's radio crackled to life, startling him so badly he nearly dropped his knife. Chiding himself for his behavior, he pressed the button that would allow Fi to communicate with them. 

"I hate to throw a wrench into your plans, but you're going to have to split up early," his brother advised urgently. "Scanners are showing four guards headed your way from the right side."

Niner's heart dropped. 

"We can take them," Sev argued. 

Whether or not Fi heard them, his next words overrode Sev. "They've got Launchers. You need to move  _now_."

No one wasted any more time. Niner and Darman sprinted forward, half-blind, the flashlight in Darman's hand swinging wildly. It occurred to Niner that the light would give away their position. " _Turn it off,_ " he gasped. Thankfully, Darman understood. There was a click, and they were plunged into darkness. 

Almost immediately, Niner pitched forward. Then Darman was grabbing his arm, pulling him upright. "Come on," Dar panted. "There's a ladder up ahead that will take us to one of the defense control rooms."

Niner had no idea how Dar knew, but he didn't bother asking. After another minute of frenzied sprinting, he heard a splash and felt a wave of water swell over his boots. Darman had skidded to a halt in front of something Niner couldn't see. The flashlight beam jerked upwards, following a rusty, twisting ladder. "Will this thing really hold up?" Darman wondered aloud. 

"No time to guess," Niner said, and shoved Dar in the back. "Come on or this whole thing is screwed." 

They'd tried to be quiet, but in their haste, they'd thrown up water against the walls. No doubt it had echoed back, loud enough for the pursuing guards to hear. Niner didn't have to strain to hear the rapid footsteps closer than he was comfortable with. 

He sheathed the knife and scrambled after Darman. His feet slipped on the grime, sending a spray of rust towards the ground. He forced himself to look up, keep climbing. To ignore the voices that grew louder with every passing second.

When he was halfway up, he was blinded by a brilliant white light. His foot slipped for the umpteenth time, making him scramble for purchase and sending his heart somewhere between total panic and complete, irrational fear. 

"Come on!" Darman yelled. He was nearly at the top, one leg swung over a concrete ledge. "Don't look back!"

At the same time, a male voice shouted at them to stop and surrender. Niner caught the word  _prisoners_ , and it gave him the rush of mad energy he needed to scamper up the remaining rungs.

"Heads up!" Darman warned. Niner didn't ask what he was doing; he tucked his head into the crook of his arm. Something tumbled past him and connected with one of the guards below with a sickening thump. Niner heard something heavier hit the ground with a splash.

Gasping for breath, he hauled himself onto the narrow ledge. "What was that?"

"A rock," Darman said. He was examining the walls closely. "There should be a door or something here. Jorge showed me a map..." He continued muttering to himself as he scanned the barren concrete. 

Niner couldn't hear anyone climbing behind them anymore. Whatever the rock had collided with, it had been enough to buy them a few critical seconds. He joined Darman, feeling for an indent or something that would indicate an entrance. His fingers caught in a long, narrow crack. "Here - look, there's an outline or something." He curled his fingers, tried to widen the gap. It was definitely a door. He tugged again, first gently, then harder. It didn't give. "Hope there isn't anyone on the other side." 

Finally, the door swung forward with a painful grating noise. Niner winced; anyone nearby could've heard something that loud.

The flashlight flared to life, illuminating the small room. The far side flashed with light every few seconds; when Niner looked closer, he saw that it was covered with several monitors that emitted the harsh red light. Oddly, the room was deserted. 

"This controls the automatic defenses, right?" Darman said, squatting to look at a tangle of white wires. "Shame we don't have time to disable this."

Niner agreed, but they had to get moving. "Scorch and Fixer have that covered, remember? Let's go before more guards come."

Darman nodded. Now that they were actually doing something, he seemed much more determined, less doubtful about their mission or its outcome. Maybe he was just hiding it well, but Niner noticed the change all the same. He wanted to ask his brother what had been troubling him, but he told himself to focus on the job at hand. 

***

Niner kept his gaze lowered as he followed Darman through the crowded streets of WICKED's city. They had merged with the bustling, harried crowd after slipping through security patrols within the walls themselves. Now came the hard part: infiltrating WICKED's headquarters.

Darman strode purposefully through the crowd, hardly glancing back. He'd studied the maps of the city as carefully as Niner had; he knew where they were going. He didn't slow when they passed patrols with WICKED written on their uniforms. Niner hoped he looked as casual as his brother, even though the sight of WICKED personnel only heightened his tension.

After they'd gone a few blocks aimlessly, Darman took a hard right. He didn't need to speak to tell Niner they were headed on a direct path towards WICKED. Niner took a few longer steps, caught up with Dar. "You know the plan, right?"

"Yes," Dar said, endlessly patient. "Get in, access the files and any other important documents if there's time." 

"Any sign of trouble, we bang out, no questions," Niner said, feeling slightly foolish for repeating himself yet again. "Worse comes to worse, we have to take a stab at it another day." He didn't doubt Darman's competence; he was just painfully aware of how quickly things could go downhill. 

"I know, Niner." Darman didn't sound the least bit irritated. That made Niner feel marginally better. 

They crossed a street, moving ever closer to the center of the city. So far, no one looked twice at them. People probably just assumed they were orphans seeking refuge in the relative safety of the Last City, under WICKED's watchful eye. Situations like that weren't uncommon; they'd seen more than a few kids wandering around on their own in the Scorch. 

The number of guards bearing WICKED's insignia suddenly increased dramatically. There were guards at every corner, every building, most carrying a variety of lethal weaponry. 

They were in the heart of it now. 


	7. Chapter 7

Niner forced himself to keep walking, not slow down or betray any of the doubts clamoring for his attention once more.

He and Darman moved more carefully now, wary of alerting the guards to their intent. Thankfully, they still must've looked like random passerby, citizens grasping at a chance for a normal life while the world around them went to hell. 

They made it as far as the sealed transparent doors that served as an entrance to WICKED's complex.

"Hey, you two!" one of the guards called. "This is a private area. Beat it." She shifted, almost casual, but the motion indicated she wasn't in the mood to play games. Well, Niner wasn't either. He glanced at Dar, who gave a short nod.

It was now or never.

Niner surged forward, tackling the guard who'd spoken. She fell back against the wall, mouth open to either curse or call for help, and he slapped his hand over her face to muffle her enraged shouts. Then he grabbed her arm, twisted so it was behind her. Struggling to maintain his hold and draw the pistol Brenda had given him, he finally planted a knee in the guard's back. Then he took his hand away from her mouth in order to aim properly. 

It was a mistake. He'd known that even before he'd done it. But it gave him the split second he needed to aim his weapon and fire.

The guard convulsed, her shouts fading. Eventually, she slumped to the ground, still twitching. Feeling as guilty as he would have if he'd inflicted real damage, Niner cautiously plucked the dart from her neck. 

A grunt made him whip around. Darman had the other guard on the ground, but the man was much larger than him and putting up a good fight. Darman was having difficulty restraining him long enough to draw his gun. 

"Move!" Niner yelled. For the second time that day, he pulled the trigger. This time, though, he didn't bother watching the aftermath. They'd probably drawn the attention of another dozen guards.

"What now?" Darman demanded.

Niner looked at the doors, still breathing hard. "We knock." 

Getting in proved to be horribly difficult. By the time they reached a quieter area, Niner had fired six darts, each proving to be deadly efficient. There wasn't time to move the bodies somewhere safe, but they'd hidden them in side hallways as best they could. 

Now came an equally difficult task: looking as though they belonged. Darman had grabbed two badges from unconscious security guards, but the trick wouldn't last long if anyone stopped to investigate. 

They managed to get to the third floor - two floors away from their destination - without any trouble. A few people seemed mildly surprised to see two teenage boys strolling freely through the halls, but they all seemed too distracted to question them. 

Niner was climbing the first few stairs to the first floor when he came face-to-face with a woman in a lab coat. Judging by the way she looked at him, she knew perfectly well they weren't authorized entries. Had she been alone, Niner would've shot her without a second thought. As it was, she was accompanied by four other harried-looking adults in white coats. He and Darman had six shots between them; not enough left over if they ran into more trouble along the way.

"Are you... subjects?" the woman asked, clearly startled. 

Niner glanced at Dar. What was the safest answer?

Darman took the plunge. "Yes, ma'am." He slowly slid his pistol out of sight, underneath his ragged gray jacket. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked slowly, eyes flicking from one face to another. "The Trials haven't started yet."

Darman shrugged. Niner took another risk and stepped in. "They wanted us to... take a break. Between tests." Brenda had once described, briefly, WICKED's treatment of its subjects. 

"They?" 

"The scientists." Niner spoke as confidently as he could. "They said to be fast, though, so we should probably start heading back." He cautiously advanced a half step further up the stairs. 

"Wait," one of the men said suddenly. Everyone - including Niner and Darman - turned to look at him in confusion. He was squinting at the boys and didn't say anything else for several long moments. Finally, after a tense silence, the man announced, "The boy is infected."

_What?_

Niner had known he was most likely going to contract the Flare at some point, even before Delta Squad arrived and delivered the news that some of them were definitely sick. He had a feeling he would be ever since they crossed the Scorch. He'd made his peace with it as best he could. Still, it hurt to have it officially pronounced, like the doctors were ordering his execution. 

But the man wasn't pointing at him.

He was pointing at Darman. 


	8. Chapter 8

For a moment Niner forgot where he was or why he was there. He even forgot that the man who'd just finished speaking and was still pointing with a quivering finger was his enemy. All he could think of was Darman.

"Dar?" he whispered. How could he not have known? Suddenly Niner was crushed with guilt. Darman was his brother, and Niner had failed to notice that he was sick. 

Amazingly, Darman was still focused on their mission, like the doctors hadn't spoken in the first place. He had drawn his pistol again and was aiming steadily at the female doctor's heart. 

That snapped Niner out of his daze. He lifted his own weapon, no longer caring that they were dangerously low on ammunition, and fired. One man fell. Two. Three, each with a thunderous crash. Niner felt no remorse for what he was doing; only aching, suffocating guilt and sorrow for Darman. 

Maybe his brother was more distressed than he was letting on, because he wasn't firing at the female doctor for some reason, even though she was the last target still conscious. He simply stood there, still aiming but not squeezing the trigger.

Niner lunged and knocked the small communication device out of the woman's hand. Then, instead of using a dart to paralyze her, he simply punched her. He still felt nothing; part of him wondered if the man had been wrong. If he was the sick one, not Dar, because his brother couldn't have the Flare, couldn't be a Crank...

He straightened and looked at Dar, who still hadn't moved an inch. Niner cautiously reached out to touch his shoulder, but Darman shrugged him off without looking at him. "Don't. You'll only make it worse."

"For which one of us?" Niner asked through clenched teeth. He was horribly aware of how exposed they were, and although he hadn't registered it at the time, the fact that the woman had called for help. They didn't have long before they were caught.

"For you," Darman said hoarsely. He began walking up the stairs, no longer optimistic as he had always been. Niner chased after him, a thousand questions crowding his mind, making it impossible to concentrate on the mission.

 _This has to stop._ Niner grabbed Darman's hand. "Dar, we have to go."

"What?"

"We'll tell them we were outnumbered or something, whatever, but we can't keep going. Not like this." It hurt to say it. He knew Darman would protest, but he also knew they had no other choice.

Darman's eyes blazed. "You're seriously giving up? After all this, you're just going to turn around and walk out? What happened to destroying these people, Niner? You heard Jorge; they're going to go after the entire army. Our  _brothers._ We can't abandon this! If we turn back, we'll be putting our brothers at risk." He swallowed. "If WICKED succeeds, they'll be like... like me. They'll be Cranks. We don't have a choice. We either keep going or we die, and I'm not leaving until I know I've done everything I can to stop them."

Niner was ashamed and angry that he let his emotions interfere with the mission. He was a commando. He was better than this. He knew full well he shouldn't have protested in the first place. 

Darman hadn't waited for an answer. Niner hurried after him. When they were walking side by side, he said, "You're right. I'm sorry."

Darman nodded, but he still didn't look away from the cavernous room in front of them. Several doors marked with red stripes branched out of the main room, but the area was dominated by what looked like towering observation screens displaying images and videos of the outside city. Each screen was surrounded by clusters of chairs. Most of the chairs were occupied.

Niner froze. The staircase continued to the fifth floor, it seemed, but it was only accessible from the other side of the room, directly in front of the screens. An elevator was crammed in between two red-marked doors, but it was still out in the open.

Someone would see them soon; Niner retreated several steps, pulling Dar with him. "We'll find another way," he whispered. Darman's eyes flashed mutinously, but Niner wasn't taking any chances. If it came to a fight, they would easily be overpowered. He was reluctant to call for backup, draw another team away from an equally important objective. Besides, no one was nearby; Fixer and Scorch were closest to them, but they were still on the opposite side of the complex.

Niner was halfway down the stairwell when everything went to hell. 

First, Darman cried out in anger and fear. Niner spun, nearly losing his footing on the narrow steps. A security guard - large, male, armed with a handgun - had seized Darman's arms and was dragging him away. Darman thrashed, snarling, and for a frozen second Niner saw a glimpse of his brother's future if he really did have the Flare. The edge of the madness Darman would lose himself to. 

Another wail of rage, and Niner was jerked out of his horror. He pounded up the steps, bracing himself to tackle the man, but he pulled up short; Darman's knife gleamed in the white light. He was trying to slash at the man's arms, but the guard wrestled it away.

Niner threw himself into the fray. He seized the guard's arm and wrenched it away, off of Darman. The guard released his brother momentarily to land a stinging blow across Niner's face. He fell back, instinctively touching his jaw. Then he shook his head to clear it and lashed out. His fist connected with the guard's head and sent him reeling. 

He turned to flee down the stairs, trusting Darman would follow, but he was blocked by another security guard. Cursing himself for causing a commotion in such a populated area, he steeled himself to brawl his way through the mob. But before he could do more than knock another guard away, he was stopped by Darman. His brother was caught between two burly guards. Each had a firm grip on his arms, and one was covering Darman's mouth with his hand. The fear in Dar's eyes drove Niner to draw his pistol and aim it at the guards restraining him. He'd worry about the lack of ammunition when his brother was free. 

"Let him go," Niner demanded uselessly. "He's not a threat."

"He's infected," one of the guards said calmly, like he wasn't holding Dar so tightly his eyes watered. Niner bit his cheek from snapping a retort that might get one of them killed. 

Darman had managed to dislodge the man's hand from his mouth. "Get the hell off me, you -" 

"Stand down," Niner snapped. The guards couldn't be reasoned with - that much was obvious. They couldn't fight their way out, so that left them with... what? Capture, interrogation, experiments? A horrible descent into insanity? None of the choices were good. Niner finally resolved to fight. Create as much of a problem for WICKED as he could, even if he died in the process. The mission would continue without him. The remnants of his squad would continue to undermine WICKED and stop them from destroying the Grand Army. Niner's life was just a means to an end. His survival wasn't crucial - but the destruction of WICKED was. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his gun. 

Suddenly the room shook. Niner stumbled. While the guards shouted something about a security breach, his radio burst to life. 

"Niner, Scorch and Fixer are on their way," Fi shouted. "You need to get out of there!"

"But Dar -" 

"Now!" Clearly Fi wasn't going to tolerate protests. "They've set charges that will detonate in five minutes and kill you if you don't leave." 

An aching void opened in Niner's chest. His first instinct was to protect Dar, save him from inevitable horror by WICKED's hand - but after one glance at his brother, he could see that Dar wasn't going to listen to arguments, either. He didn't struggle when the guards renewed their efforts to drag him away. 

" _Niner_!" Fi barked. "We'll help Dar, but this won't be worth anything if you die now!"

Feeling tears sting his eyes and close his throat, Niner turned and ran as debris rained down around him. 


End file.
